It’s no secret that educators love to share. They share their path to success, and they’re also not afraid to talk about bumps in the road during ed-tech pilots or implementations.
Because today’s school leaders value connectivity and collaboration, we decided to follow suit and gather together a group of influential educators who are willing to share their thoughts, perspectives, and experiences when it comes to education technology.
The editors of eSchool News are pleased to announce the members of our newly revamped eSchool News Advisory Board. As Advisory Board members, these education leaders and ed-tech advocates offer expert guidance and feedback to help eSchool News bring our readers the best in news, innovation, and resources.
Here are the eSchool News Advisory Board members; click to read each member’s bio.
Dr. Sheryl Abshire
Dr. Karen Billings
Dr. Dan Frazier
Lucy Gray
Ian Jukes
Patrick Larkin
Shannon McClintock Miller
Sheryl Abshire is Chief Technology Officer in the Calcasieu Parish School System in Lake Charles, La. As a leader in technology integration, she serves as a catalyst to initiate the integration of technology into all curriculum areas throughout her school district, the state, and internationally.
Sheryl has a B.S. Early Childhood Education, M.Ed. Elementary Education, Educational Specialist School Administration/Supervision & a Ph.D. University of New Orleans in Educational Leadership & Administration.
As an accomplished grant writer she regularly conducts institutes to fund innovative technology programs throughout the nation. A 41-year veteran educator, she has worked as a school principal, K-5 teacher, library/media specialist, classroom teacher, assistant professor at Lamar University, and as an adjunct professor at McNeese State University & Louisiana Tech University.
She has been involved in diverse staff development programs throughout the nation, involving restructuring schools through the infusion of technology and curriculum enhancements. As a 1991 NEA/NFIE Christa McAuliffe Fellow, 1990 Louisiana Technology Teacher of the Year, 1992 National Teacher Hall of Fame Inductee, 1998 Louisiana Computer Using Educator of the Year, 1999 McNeese State University Distinguished Alumnus, 2002 National Christa McAuliffe Award winner and the 2008 University of New Orleans Outstanding Doctoral Student in Educational Leadership, she is a nationally recognized consultant/speaker.
In 2010 she was appointed by the FCC to the USAC board representing the nation’s schools and libraries on eRate matters. In May of 2009, ISTE awarded Dr. Abshire the first Public Policy Advocate of the Year Award for her work promoting educational technology. Sheryl is on the ISTE Standards and Accreditation Committee and serves on numerous national, state, and district committees focusing on the role of technology and curriculum integration in changing educational practice.
Dr. Karen Billings is Vice President of the Education Division at the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), where she drives strategic direction, programs, and initiatives for the 180 company members focused on providing technology products and services to the K-12 and postsecondary markets. Dr. Billings has 45 years of experience within education technology, including 12 years in K-12 and postsecondary classrooms, as well as positions in management, product development, marketing, and sales.
Within the industry, she held executive-level positions at bigchalk Inc. and MediaSeek Technologies. Earlier in her career, she held positions at Microsoft Corporation, Claris Corporation, Logo Computer Systems, Inc. and Houghton-Mifflin Company.
Her teaching experience includes both public and private institutions and both face-to face and online courses. She has authored four books and numerous articles for education journals, and is a frequent speaker at education conferences. She received her Doctorate at Columbia University Teachers College, where she specialized in the uses and evaluation of technology in education. She was given a lifetime membership in the International Society for Technology in Education.
Dr. Dan Frazier is currently Superintendent of Education for Litchfield Public Schools in Litchfield, Minnesota. He began his career as a superintendent in 1997. Dr. Frazier was recognized by eSchool News and its sponsors as an eSchool News Tech-Savvy Superintendent in 2012.
Dr. Frazier is an experienced school administrator, serving 13 years as a public school superintendent in Iowa and two years overseas prior to his arrival in Litchfield. A former secondary English teacher, Frazier also has experience as an activities director, assistant principal, and middle school principal.
Frazier earned his bachelor degree from Morningside College in Sioux City. He earned a master’s degree from the University of Nebraska, a specialist degree from Drake University in Des Moines, and his doctorate on campus from the University of Nebraska.
Currently an education consultant advising a variety of organizations, Lucy Gray previously taught elementary grade levels in Chicago Public Schools and middle school computer science at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. She also has worked at the University of Chicago’s
Urban Education Institute and the Center for Elementary Mathematics and Science Education.
In 2007, Lucy founded the Global Education Collaborative, a network for educators interested in Collaboration, which expanded into the Global Education Conference. In her consulting life, she has led CoSN’s Leadership for Mobile Learning initiative, developed strategic plans and content for companies, provided professional development coaching to school districts, and presented at many conferences.
Lucy also has received the distinctions of Apple Distinguished Educator and Google Certified Teacher, and recently was appointed an Education Fast Forward fellow. For further information and resources, please check out her website at http://lucygrayconsulting.com.
Ian Jukes is the founder and Executive Director of the InfoSavvy Group, an international educational leadership consulting firm. He has been a teacher, administrator, writer, international consultant, university instructor, and keynote speaker. He has worked with clients in more than 75 countries and made more than 10,000 presentations.
His most recent books are: Teaching the Digital Generation, Living on the Future Edge, Understanding the Digital Generation and Literacy Is Not Enough.
Outside of education, he also works with government, the banking, medical and insurance industries, as well as with organizations and communities that have lost their market or economic base and wish to explore possibilities for preferred economic futures.
But first and foremost, Ian is a passionate educational evangelist. From the beginning, Ian’s focus has been on the compelling need to restructure our educational institutions so that they become relevant to the current and future needs of the digital generation – and to prepare them for their future and not just our past. Ian can be reached at iajukes@me.com.
Patrick Larkin is the Assistant Superintendent for Learning for Burlington Public Schools in Massachusetts. Prior to this, Patrick served 15 years as a building level administrator at the high school level. In 2012, he was selected as one of three national Digital Principal Award winners by the National Association of Secondary School Principals.
As a high school principal, Patrick led his school in the transition to a one-to-one environment for the 2011-2012 school year as Burlington High School became one of the first schools in the nation to distribute iPads to all staff and students. Apple has a profile of Burlington High School on its Education page. He is active in presenting to colleagues on the benefits of educational technology for administrators, teachers, and students. In addition, he is an avid blogger and a proponent of social media to better engage teachers, students, and parents in the education process.
You can find Patrick’s blog at PatrickMLarkin.com or follow him on Twitter at @patrickmlarkin.
Shannon is a teacher librarian and technology integration specialist. She encourages young people and educators to have a voice while learning, creating, collaborating, and connecting to others globally.
She is an educational consultant for Mackin Educational Resources, Director of School and Library Strategy for In This Together Media and Executive Director of Library & Educational Services for Biblionasium.
She speaks and consults in Iowa and around the country on education, librarianship, technology, social media, and making a difference in education and the lives of others.
Shannon is the author of the award winning The Library Voice blog and enjoys writing for various blogs, journals and other forums.
Shannon is a member of ALA, AASL, IASL, ILA, ISTE, SIGMS, ASCD, Children’s Literature Network and Board of Directors, Iowa Student Learning Institute.
Shannon serves on AASL Best Websites committee and STEM Task Force; advisory boards for Library Journal, Horn Book, and School Library Journal; School Library Monthly; Rosen Digital Library, StarWalk Kids board of advisers; EasyBib advisory board; BiblioNasium advisory board; eSchool Media advisory board; and Gale K12 Customer advisory board. She is a FableVision Ambassador, Social Media WRADvocate for LitWorld’s World Read Aloud Day and on the Board of Advisers for In This Together Media. She is part of the Bammy Awards Council of Peers. She has served as advocacy chair for IASL and Iowa Center for the Book Advisory Council.
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